TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 53, 27 November 1923, Page 5

TOWN AND COUNTRY

: NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

There has been a mild epidemic of ptomaine poisoning in Carterton lately, some thirty cases, we are nifonnecl, being traced to eating ice creams. None of the eases have proved fatal (states the “Wairarapa. News ’), but many of them necessitated medical attendance.

Ten miles of lupins On the sandy wastes near Himatangi fill the air with sweet perfume, please, the eye with their beauty, and furnished the bees with stores of bonev (say» the “Manawatu Times”). An Australian visitor whose business was the extraction of vegetable oils on a large scale, secured a quantity or lupin seed for experiment.

The native cabbage tree tn our landscape is much admired by visitors (says the “Manawatu Tinies’). It is easily grown and hard to kill, but the litter from its leaves is a constant source of work It may be much improved in appearance by cutting the heads completely off. when it throws out an abundant cron of fresh young leaves all along the trunk, and these do not readily fall.

There is a. stretch of bush near Taumarunui, said Sister Allison, a Maori missionary stationed at Taumarunui, to the Presbyterian Assembly at Christchurch on Tuesday night, “which is called ‘Glory Land.’ I asked two navvies why it was called by this name. Thev said that the white people called "it ‘Glory Land’ because it was so hard to get into, but the Maoris gave it the same name because there were nq persons there.” —“Press.”

'Travellers by train on the south line have been much struck by the number of carefully devised old-fashioned scarecrows which are seen in so many of the paddocks'(states the Auckland “Star”). Residents. pakchas and Maoris, in the King Country say that it is the only effective wav of keeping the birds off' the plantations of maize and other crops. City dwellers just smile at these assertions, and sav that if the scarecrows do keep the birds away they must be much more easily scared than the birds in the city, which simply shoiv their contempt fo<- the dummy figures by perching on the most prominent parts of them. sSomo of the figures aro garbed in the latest style, the female figures have lownecked dresses with short skirts.

A prohibition order was granted against a local lesident in the Timaru Police Court on a recent morning and the man was proceeding to leave the courtroom immediately when a policeman stopped him. He, grudgingly took a seat ami the Bench addressed him ns follows: —“I suppose yon were just going out for a last drink, were you?” “No/ i wasn’t,” declared the delend'ant. The Bench (says the “Post”) warned him that from that moment he was prohibited, and his appearance in any hotel in New Zealand would render him liable to be brought before the Court. The defendant then left the Court and at the door he burned round and called out in a gruff voice to his aged father, “Come on!”

Big towns, like “.big” people, aro often the result of a lucky destiny (remarks the Auckland “Star”). How Morrinpville just missed becoming a city is told by an old railroad surveyor It appears that when the AucklandRotorua lino reached Ngaruawahia it was proposed to deflect it in a southeasterly direction round the edge of the Pinko swamp to Morrinsville. This would have obviated the building of two large bridges over the Waikato, and taking the railway down the east side of the river instead of zig-zagging across it. A fierce controversy raged about the matter at the time, and eventually Hamilton influence won. Had it not been so Morrinsville would have been a great junction town instead of Hamilton.

There was an amusing interlude at a meeting of business men recently convened at Christchurch to discuss the Canterbury advertising campaign at the Empire Exhibition. Great stress had been laid on the facilitin. for sport, but only of the rod and gun variety, but Air. E. Husband, undeterred by the presence of Mr. L. M. Isitt, eulogised the good fare provided bv the racing and trotting clubs, and! suggested the merry tinkle of the totalisator bells as a lure for the tourist and immigrant. .Despite some hearty laughter. Air. Isitt refused io be drawn.—“ Press.”

“’These modern dances are unfortunately attended by younjr men and young women who seem to go in order to make a drinking party of .it.” commented Air. F. E. Wilson during the hearing of a. case in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court on Friday (says the “Taranaki News”). Air. A. Al. Alowlem, S.AI., later had something to say on the same subject. It was a matter for Very serious consideration, ho said, that young fellows went out to the country on these dancing exlieditions and apparently got very thirsty. These young fellows did not seem to care who broke the law. so long as their thirst was satisfied.

When a witness was asked whether lie ever had a bet with bookmakers. Air. A. Al. Alpwlem. S.AI., in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court on Thursday interposed to say that there were no such things as bookmakers. Alost of those present in court smiled knowingly (says the “Taranaki Dailv News”), and the solicitor who put the question amended his query to “reputed to be a bookmaker.”

From one of the pioneers we learn that the first settler in Rangitikei to fell bush for the purpose of sowing grass seed was Air. David Alorrison. of Fern Flats (says the “Alanawatu Times”). This was onlv 60 years ago, and he was then regarded as a. madman. About the first bush felled in the Alanawatu was on Air. Mcnratl’s property, on the riyor near Karere. The first on the main road was at Air. H. McEwen’s, Karere.

A good export trade in “rusty sovereigns” has been done in the last few months, some two hundred tons having been shipped from Wanganui to Dunedin. “Rusty sovereigns” (says the Wanganui “Herald”) is th© euphemistic name given to scrap iron, and demonstrates that there is money to bo made in tho gleanings of rubbish and junk. Tho scrap iron is tho need niulation of blacksmiths, foundries, and workshops, and consists of bar iron., old files, 'saws. broken gate hinges, and other ferrous fragments tlmt have outlived their usefulness or been damaged beyond repair. The “rusty sovereigns” are dumped on the wharf and await shipment in the companionship of empty biscuit tins and hollow beer casks, all of which are consigned to the South Island. Perchance these derelicts will return again after the skill of the South Islander lias converted the iron into ploughs and replenished! the biscuit tins and beer casks with contents that are true to label.

A Masterton angler informed an “Age” reporter that the fishing m the Pahiatua district is excellen_t just now. He caught 10 fine trout up to 41b., in weight in two hours’ fislu.ng. the Mangatainoka River is reported to be particularly well stocked.

“The difficulty will not be in getting freezing works to take the stock, hut m getting stock to cat the feed,” said Mr. W. D. Hunt, the Bank of New Zealand’s representative on the board of directors of the Taranaki Farmers’ Meat and Freezing Company, on Friday night, when commenting on the splendid spring growth in Taranaki. The season had been most favourable all over the Dominion, he added. — ‘‘Taranaki Daily News.”

The other day (relates the “Manawatu Daily Times”) the slow train rattled into AVhakaronga and pulled up with a jerk. A. clergyman in one of the carriages roused from his peaceful slumber slammed the window up after wasting much energy, and, inhaling balmy spring air, exclaimed: “By Jove it’s invigorating!” A real son of Nevy Zealand, overhearing the remark, replied blandly: “Pye korry, boss, you make to big mistake, him te Mhakaronga.”

A startling experience befell S. Goldsbury, a Te Arolia, youth as he was cycling into town on luesuay morning (relates the “/Waikato Times”). He withdrew a. cigarette butt from his mouth, and thinking that he. had extinguished it, he placed it in his hip jiocket. He had not gone far, however, when he found that the butt had burned through his pocket and had come into contact with his coat, which, in the breeze caused by fast travelling burst into flames. The cyclist was not long m freeing himself from Liu,' binning garment.

“Racing and football seem to he the only things that take on down here,” said Mr. E. L. Maeassey (president) at Friday night’s ineetnig or the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, when the secretary (Mr. R. Swinney) . reported that the loss on the previous Saturday’s snorts meeting exceeded £‘>o A delegate (reports the Dunedin “Star”) said that efforts should be made to popularise athletic sport among the ladies. Air. G. Luckhurst said that that had already been done. On one occasion tickets has been sent to the ladies’ hockey clubs, but very few of the girls had attended the sports 'meeting. “If you put on a jazz,” he added dryly, you might get them along.”

Information is being sought regardin<>- the promise made many years back bv" the Justice Department, to station a’ constable at Taneatua, for the purpose of maintaining law in that and the surrounding districts, including Waimana (says a correspondent ot the “New Zealand Herald ’). Among the large number of tramps seeking food and shelter from farmers along the main roads, is a fair sprinkling ci tb.e vagrant class, who travel without even a "swag, and who have been warned to leave the towns. This seems to encourage these men to believe that the farmer is bound to cater lor them, and thev, knowing that there is no police protection, demand food, and if refused declare that they will call again and make things “warm” about the farm. The tramp who carries a decent-sized swag, and is genuinely looking for work, seems to have no trouble in obtaining food and shelter from the farmers.

Continued earth tremors caused residents of Arthur’s Pass an anxious time on Tuesday morning, when \ the earth quaked throughout the day (reports the “Grey River Argus ). Houses swayed and trembled and goods were thrown from shelves. There is no extensive damage reported an<l the shocks ceased late in the evening. At Otira on AVedncsday a number ot Shocks were felt, and on Thursday two shocks were recorded in the morning. Several women are reported to have left the district. A sligTit shock was felt at 8.55 a.m. on Thursday m Greymouth. Shocks were felt at Springfield also, but the ’qualms appear to be confined to a belt of land between Snringfield and Greymouth and Hokitika. as shocks have not been recorded elsewhere on the Coast.

The opossums in the Inisn near some of the New Plymouth gardens are proving very destructive (states the “Taranaki Daily News”). One gardener who generally has a fine display of roses,' found the young shoots disappearing, so he watched one ms and found the guilty, parties were the marsupials, which, in recent years, have multinlied considerably, and are becoming a very real pest. Vegetable gardens also suffered m the early spring, whilst some residents who have fruit trees are contemplating cutting them down altogether on iccount ot the depredations of the opossums, vet the law protects the opossum and people are fined for killing the I'cst- As wel' protect stoats and weasels, observed one irate gardener to a reporter.

“The green flag will never convey to the public the imminence of danger at railway crossings as well as a red flag would,” said Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday when he convicted two offenders for attempting to cross a railway crossing when the line was not clear.—“ Press.”

That there is a greaty scarcity of boys for farm work in the country is the complaint of many farmers in the King Country (states the Auckland “Star”). “Jt would be a very fine thing if some of the boys in your orphanages could be induced io take on farm work, where they would lie well fed and well cared for in some of the best farmers’ homes,” said the wife of a farmer the other day to a man who is interested in many of the public institutions in the city, “but the great trouble.” she added, on reflection, “is that most of the- boy.are reared to city enjoyments, and when they get io the country they cannot settle to the solid pleasures to bo found there. Good homes could be found for dozens of boys, and the country will never develop properly unless we have young farmers coming on who have been well trained to take the place of the pioneers and others wlio of necessity pass from the scene. The scheme to bring boys to New Zealand, whether it is by the Salvation Armv or any other agency, is a good one. and the boys will have a bright future out here on the land. Tell the people in the city we want boys,” she added, “and, after all, is there a bettor life in the world titan the life on the land?” “Is your birthrate declining in Hie country queried the man from the city. “No, it is not that,” was the reply, “but there i. such a development going on, and (he cultivation is more intensive, that the Ihivs on the farms need to be-tin-creased from some outside source to keep mice with it.” A boy with a sixth standard education, she thought, could make good in the country, ami ho would build up what was best, of all. a good healthy _ body, and that meant a vigorous mind.